What does uncanny mean?
Uncanny describes something that seems eerie, mysterious, or supernatural, especially when it is also strangely familiar. The word is also used for abilities, perceptions, likenesses, and results that are so accurate or precise that they seem almost unnatural: an uncanny memory, an uncanny resemblance, or an uncanny ability to read a situation. Its power lies in this tension between familiarity and strangeness. A face can be uncanny not because it is entirely alien, but because it seems too familiar or too nearly human; a prediction can be uncanny because it appears to border on clairvoyance. In contemporary usage, the adjective often suggests an explanation that may be rational but leaves an impression of something extraordinary. It can convey mild unease, but it can also be approving, particularly when describing keen insight or remarkable accuracy.
adjectiveCharacterized by an eerie, mysterious, or apparently supernatural atmosphere; or so precise, accurate, or perceptive as to seem unnatural.
- Eerie, mysterious, or seemingly supernatural.
- Remarkably accurate, precise, perceptive, or lifelike.
"She had an uncanny ability to anticipate what people were about to say."
"The abandoned house had an uncanny stillness that made everyone hesitate at the door."
"His uncanny sense of timing transformed an ordinary performance into something extraordinary."
Uncanny is the word behind the uncanny valley—the unsettling sensation of seeing something almost human but not quite.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of uncanny
Uncanny entered English in the late 16th century from the Scots adjective uncannie, meaning strange or supernatural. Its formation combines the negative prefix un- with canny, an older adjective associated with knowledge, shrewdness, or discernment. English later extended the word beyond its supernatural sense to describe remarkable accuracy and precision, while retaining its atmosphere of something strange or beyond ordinary explanation.
Related word forms
How uncanny is actually used
Uncanny is commonly used for things that seem almost natural but are strangely exact, lifelike, or unsettling. It is not restricted to supernatural contexts, though it often suggests that a normal explanation may be insufficient.
Easily confused with uncanny
Canny means shrewd, sensible, or perceptive, whereas uncanny describes something that seems strangely familiar, supernatural, or improbably accurate.